The Christmas Yeti
by iEvenstarEstel
Summary: It's Christmas Eve and newlywed Abby is depressed and she doesn't know why. Connor's concerned and wonders if she's unhappy with him. The arrival of someone unexpected puts it all in perspective.


The Christmas Yeti  
>2011 Evenstar Estel<p>

"Um... have I done something wrong?" Connor asked nervously, casting a furtive glance in Abby's direction. In one hand was his soldering iron and in the other the new motherboard for his upgrade to the ADD. His intent was to have it detect the atmospheric and magnetic shifts that happened prior to an anomaly exploding into existence. It would give them a few minutes, maybe even hours of notice before one opened. Abby stood at the doorway of his refurbished Prospero lab, staring at him intently. Her arms were crossed over her chest as she leaned against the doorframe. Her face gave no indication whatsoever to her thoughts and that bothered Connor. Sometimes he wasn't sure he was reading her right, even after all these years.

"Why would you think you've done something wrong?" Abby retorted, her voice even and there again, giving nothing away regarding her thoughts. Connor went to speak, but when he opened his mouth, nothing came out. "Connor?"

He sighed and slumped in his chair. "It's just... last time you came to me with your arms crossed, face all... thinky, you read me the riot act about leaving m'laundry on the bathroom floor and you got really angry at me and... and... and I still feel about two inches tall from it and I don't want to get yelled at again."

"I already apologized for that. I had a headache and terrible cramps and I just wanted my hot water bottle but I had to..."

"I know! You had to climb the Mount Everest of me boxer shorts to get to it. I'm sorry, Abby! I've been doing better!"

"I know you have! I didn't come here to yell at you!" Except she was yelling and dangerously close to bursting into tears. How had this become an argument?

"Then why did you come, Abby?"

"Because I wanted a cuddle, damn you!" Connor stopped short, looked her up and down and furrowed his brow. "I and was watching you because you're handsome and I like looking at you, okay?"

Connor gently set down the soldering iron and the motherboard and turned his chair to face her. Abby had been oddly irritable lately and he couldn't figure out why. He hoped it wasn't because of anything he'd done. If he wasn't the cause of the frowns on her face or her desire to just be left alone to sit and watch the snow falling outside from the vantage point of their living room window, then what was? It was Christmas Day tomorrow and their first as a married couple. He'd been trying desperately for weeks to get her the perfect gift and though he'd gotten her many lovely things, none of them were 'the' gift. He hoped after work he could find some time to hit the shops before they closed and maybe just maybe be blessed with a Christmas miracle and find the right gift to show Abby how much he loved her.

Connor got up from his chair and walked over to the sofa against the back wall. He sat down and patted his knees while looking her square in the eye. Abby traversed the room in seconds and was in his lap, curled against his body while he wrapped his strong arms around her. She tucked her head under his chin and buried her face against his chest. Connor rubbed soothing strokes over her back and cuddled her close.

Abby leaned into him and nuzzled his chest, finally able to shake the melancholy that had been plaguing her for most of the day. She supposed one of the reasons she was sad was the fact that her younger brother Jack had turned down her invitation to have Christmas dinner with her and Connor in their brand new flat. Instead, Jack and his mates were going skiing in France and quote _"I can't think of anything more dull than spending the holidays with you two!"_. Abby had tried not to let it show how much Jack's rejection had hurt her, but when that first tear came to her eyes she couldn't help herself and broke down. When Connor found her sobbing alone in the dark he'd thought something terrible had happened. When she explained, he was supportive and sympathetic. A little while later they were in their bed as Connor made love to her and made her forget her sorrows. Since then however, she'd not been able to shake her sullen mood. _Something _was missing from her life and she couldn't figure out what it was. She'd wracked her brain but couldn't find a solution. The only time she felt okay was when she was in the menagerie with the creatures, or times like the present when she was with her husband.

They'd married in the Spring with just their friends present. Jack had said he'd be there, but never showed. Connor had learned of his mother's passing _after_ New Dawn had come to its climax. He took it incredibly hard, knowing that during the year they were stranded in the past, his mother had a stroke and died without seeing her son one last time. He'd sobbed and mourned for most of the winter, but when Spring came, he had their wedding to look forward to and decided it was time to live in the present.

"Abby?' Connor asked tentatively, tightening his hold on her.

"Mmm?" was her only reply. She'd almost been asleep.

"Are we okay?" There was such and edge of worry to his voice it absolutely broke Abby's heart. She hadn't been sharing her thoughts with him much at all since she'd spoken with Jack. And she'd asked Connor for more alone time apart from him than in the past. She'd just wanted to figure things out so she could come to him and tell him what was wrong with her. She didn't want to burden him, but obviously all it had done was concern him about the stability of their marriage.

Abby drew back from him and beheld his dark eyes and saw the immense amount of emotion behind them. He was genuinely frightened by what she might reply. She lay her hand upon his cheek and stroked her thumb over his bottom lip. "Oh Connor, I love you so much. We are more than okay. I'm promise. I don't know why I'm out of sorts. I'll be better after the holidays are over."

Connor reached up and cradled the back of her head, resting his forehead to hers. "I don't like seeing you so sad. I feel helpless. I should be able to make you happy."

"You do! It's nothing to do with you and me. We're solid. I'm so happy being your wife. It's the best thing in the world. I guess I'm just not in the Christmas Spirit. We've no family..."

"That's not true, we're a family, you and me, and there's our friends. We're having supper with Jess, Becker, Emily n' Matt. It's only Lester's who's got somewhere to go. Is this about Jack?"

"Partly. Listen, Connor. I know you worry and I love you for it, but right here right now I'm the happiest I've ever been in my life. I just want you hold me, kiss me, and tell me you love me."

"I love you." With that he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers for the most passionate, loving kiss he could muster. Their tongues caressed and stroked with lips pressed firmly together. Abby kneaded his chest with her fingertips and deepened the kiss. His hand moved to her breast and cupped it through the layers of cotton she wore and Abby leaned into his touch. Did they risk making love on his sofa? They'd gotten away with it before, but since his lab was no longer off limits, others on staff at the ARC came and went on a daily basis. Abby wiggled her bottom against his cock under her and felt him hardening. Arousal coursed through both of them and their touches turned from soft to hungry.

As if on cue, the anomaly detector's alarm sounded throughout the building. With a groan of disappointment they parted from each other and stood up.

"Sorry, love," Connor said.

"It's okay, it's not like you made the anomaly open."

"No, but I did build the machine that detects them."

"Well, then you can make it up to me when we get home tonight."

He drew her near once more and kissed her lips. "Count on it!"

!*!*!

It took them twice as long to reach the part of London the anomaly had appeared in. It had been snowing on and off for the past week and traffic as a nightmare. It was dark out already and it looked like a massive storm was brewing. The news reported that overnight they could expect the heaviest snow fall in years. The ARC vehicles pulled up in front of the anomaly, which was situated at the end of a block of shops, most of which had already closed for the night. It was far enough away from the main street that no one from the public had noticed it yet. The soldiers set up the locking mechanism while Connor used his newly modified dating calendar device to pinpoint where it lead.

"Looks like about three thousand years ago," Connor shouted above the howling winds, wincing as the blowing snow bit into his exposed skin. He wished he had a hat or scarf, or better yet a nice big pillowy coat like Abby wore, complete with faux fir trim around the hood. In black. Black was cool, though Abby looked radiant in her white one. Were it not for her pink cheeks he'd lose sight of her in all this snow. "That's good, no creature incursions to worry about!"

"Where does it lead?" Abby asked, coming to his side and linking her arm with his. A ferocious blast of snow and cold wind came _through _the anomaly and they were nearly knocked off their feet.

"Wow! The Himalayan Mountains! Cool!"

"Yeah, well you're not allowed to go through and check it out. Knowing you, you'll fall right over the edge."

"Good thing I wasn't gonna go through then, isn't it?" He grinned at her and she smiled back. A few moments later the anomaly was locked and any danger that might've been had passed.

"We should check around for a creature incursion," said Matt to Becker behind them. Emily stood nearby, wishing she had her woolen coat from her own time, especially with its fur lining.

"For what?" laughed Connor. "A wayward yak?"

"Better safe than sorry, right?" was Matt's reply. Connor shrugged his shoulders and he and Abby accepted their EMD's as Becker passed them each one. They fanned out and trudged through the snow in all directions. The soldiers went into the darkened ends of the streets, where they met the backs of the buildings of the front street at one end, and the edge of a park at the other. Becker, Matt, Emily, Connor and Abby took to the side streets and alleys. Connor's woolen coat kept his upper body warm enough, but his arse and legs, not to mention other parts of his anatomy, were freezing cold. He intended to turn around and go back to the vehicles to warm up when he heard something down the alley. It was a strange sound, sort of like a cross between a cat's meow and a sheep's bleat, only at a deeper register.

"He guys, I think I might have something," Connor said into his communication piece. "In the alley behind the bakery."

"Connor be careful!" came Abby's plea in his ear.

"I will, sweetheart."

"You two are giving me a cavity, I love it!" giggled Jess as she listened in from her safe position in the ARC. "Connor, Matt and Becker should be with you in a couple of minutes. Abby and Emily are further away."

"Ok, got it, I'm going in," responded Connor, as he made his way into the alley with the torch on his EMD lighting his way. He advanced slowly, keeping his ears open for any other signs of danger as he followed the sounds of the creature. The closer he got, the more ill at ease Connor felt, though it wasn't from fear. The creature's noises almost sounded like weeping, there was sadness in the noise and it upset him. He peered around a dumpster and his jaw dropped. He wasn't sure what he was seeing exactly, but it was small and furry.

"Guys, I've got something here," Connor spoke. "It's about two feet tall, covered in white fur, pretty stocky. Doesn't look too dangerous."

"Don't approach until we're with you," ordered Becker. "Thirty seconds!"

Connor waited until he heard the other two men approach before he ventured out around the dumpster. The little beast noticed he wasn't alone and turned to behold the stranger. Connor was a bit taken a back by it. With huge black eyes and a set of teeth more impressive than a T-Rex's, it was almost cute. That was until it began to shake from fear, burst into huge wailing sobs and cowered against the brick wall. Matt and Becker flanked Connor and the little creature's pitiful calls echoed through the night.

Connor felt a swell of pity for it as he observed big fat tears fall from his eyes and freeze on his fur. Connor took a tentative step forwards and extended his hand. "Hey little fella..." Connor spoke. As soon as Connor came within reaching distance of the creature it snarled and lunged, snapping his teeth at Connor's outstretched hand. Becker and Matt immediately fell into defensive positions with their weapons aimed on the creature. Connor recoiled and managed to not get bit. The small furry fellow looked up at the three big men and started up his plaintiff wails again.

It was upon this scene that Abby and Emily arrived. The women exchanged a curious look. The creature's sounds echoed throughout the entire alley. They came up behind the men and Abby felt her heart absolutely melt as she looked around them at the poor little fluffball on the ground.

"Guys, fall back," Abby spoke softly, tugging on the back of Connor and Matt's coats. Becker dropped to the side, but kept his weapon at the ready. Connor and Matt maneuvered behind Abby as she knelt down a few feet away from the creature.

"Abby what are you doing?" hissed Connor. "That thing nearly took me hand off!"

"Hush. You're all scaring him!" Abby scolded, keeping her voice light and placid. "He's trapped back here with no escape, and you're three big men with guns. He's terrified. Look at him, he's just a baby."

"A baby?" questioned Becker. "Looks like a little demon if you ask me."

"Stop. Look at his eyes, they're big in proportion to his face, just like a human baby's. And he's awkward, his body's too big for his limbs. He's shaking. You three goons must've scared the life out of him! Take another step back, trust me." The men shared a look between them and reluctantly obeyed. Abby turned her focus to the little fellow and smiled. "Hello baby," she cooed. Her voice directed at him got the creature's attention. His plaintiff sobs ceased and he looked over at the small, feminine creature dressed all in white before him. Abby pushed her hood off her head and her shoulder length blond hair shone under the light of the torches. He looked her up and down, hugging his long fuzzy arms against his chest as he cowered against the bricks. Abby smiled and locked eyes with him. "Come here sweetheart, come on. We won't hurt you."

"I don't think he can understand you, love," Connor mumbled.

"It's not the words Connor, it's the tone I use, now be quiet." Abby extended her arms to the baby whatever it was, beckoning him forward. "Where's your mama? Huh? You're lost aren't you, baby? Come here and I'll take care of you." The baby took a tentative step towards her and paused, looking up at the three big scary men, then back to Abby. He looked into her big blue eyes and watched her smile. He didn't move for the longest time, then suddenly threw himself into her open arms and held on to her with all his might. "Aww, there you go."

Abby wrapped her arms around him and hugged him. The creature snuffled against her breasts and started up his plaintiff calls for his mother again. Abby rocked him and stroked his furry head and back and spoke to him in soothing tones. It wasn't until she began to sing him a lullaby did he finally settle. There in the darkened alley under the falling snow, Abby held the small creature in her lap and comforted him.

"What now?" asked Connor, keeping a wary eye on the odd thing currently cleaving to his wife.

"He's freezing, so we're going to take him back to the SUVs to get him warm. He might be covered in fur, but he can't be more than a year or two old, he would still be with his mother for food and warmth," Abby explained. The baby had calmed sufficiently and held fast to Abby, silent and secure in her embrace.

"Can't we just unlock the anomaly and shove him back through?"

"Connor I just explained, he wouldn't be away from his mum. He's lost. He must've been separated from her. He's been on this side alone long enough to deduce that. She's either been killed or he's wandered off, either way we're not shoving him back through by himself, he could get hurt or killed on his own."

"Well, you're not going through!"

"Don't be daft, Connor. We'll take this one step at a time. First things first, we need to get him warmed up." Abby struggled to her feet with the baby in her arms. She estimated his weight about twenty five pounds. When Connor went to help her the creature growled at him. Abby patted the baby's furry bottom and told him to hush, which he somehow understood, and let Connor be. The baby hid his face against Abby's chest as she climbed into the front seat of the SUV with Connor. Matt, Becker and the others continued to scope out the terrain for any other creatures. Once the vehicle was toasty warm, Abby grew too hot in her coat.

"Conn, take the baby for a moment?" Abby asked as she tried to peel him off her.

"What? Me?" Connor protested.

"Now, Connor, just hold him for a second." When Connor put his hands around the creature's midsection and pulled him off Abby he instantly began to cry and flail, desperately trying to reattach himself to Abby. She quickly divested herself of her coat and reached for him again. A soon as he was back with his surrogate mother his noises stopped and he hugged all his limbs around her body. He wouldn't be tricked into letting go a second time. Abby giggled when the baby began to paw at her breasts. She gently pulled his hands away, but giggled again when he nuzzled at them.

"What's all that about then?" Connor asked, curious as well as amused.

"Well, I'm female aren't I?" Abby replied. "He's probably hungry. I'm afraid this is as close as you're going to get little guy." In the end, the baby settled for laying his head upon the soft pillows.

"Well, looks like he and I have something in common."

"What's that?"

"Your tits are definitely my favourite place to lay my head."

"Oh stop, you're incorrigible." They shared a smile and Abby cuddled her little charge. "What do you think he is?"

"I'm pretty sure we're going to have to go with Yeti, Abbs. The Himalayas three thousand years ago? What else could he be?"

"Right of legend isn't he?"

"Yeah, guess so. Too bad he's an ornery little bugger."

"Just for that I'm naming him Connor Jr."

"Abby!"

"Quiet, you'll wake the baby." Sure enough, safe in Abby's arms, the little Yeti was fast asleep.

!*!*!

"Ohh! Let me see him!" Jess squealed as they entered the ARC, Connor Jr. still ensconced in Abby's arms. The baby took one look at Jess coming towards him and cried out in fear and hid against Abby. Jess halted and pouted.

"Don't take it personally, Jess," Abby said. "You're... you're really brightly coloured and he's not used to that. Back home everything's white and gray. He just can't take the stimulation."

"What on Earth possessed you to bring _that_ in here?" Lester sighed in exasperation as he came upon the scene. "Dear Lord, he's an ugly little thing. Best put him in the menagerie with the rest."

Connor winced and turned away, knowing what was about to come.

"I will do no such thing!" Abby seethed, tightening her grasp around the little fuzz ball in her arms. "He's just a lost little baby, Lester. How you even think such a thing? He's helpless, in a strange world and he's missing his mum! And on Christmas no less! We're taking him to Connor's lab for now, but he'll not be left alone or put in a cage! I'd sooner put you in the menagerie!"

Duely chastised, Lester cleared his throat and straightened his tie. "Very well, but you're responsible. Furthermore you will find a permanent solution that does _not_ include you keeping him. That is out of the question!"

Abby narrowed her eyes at their boss and stormed off without a word, Connor following dutifully behind. Once they were ensconced in Connor's lab, Abby reclined on the sofa. The yeti hadn't made a fuss during the ride back to the ARC, choosing instead to hide his face against Abby and hold on for dear life. In truth she had no idea what to do about him other than protect and comfort him. The baby looked all around at his surroundings, and watched as Connor paced back and forth.

"Abby? What _are _we going to do about him?" Connor hedged, not wanting to upset his wife or the Yeti baby.

"I don't know, Conn, I'm sorry. I just couldn't see the logic in putting him back through the anomaly. He's completely helpless. Without his mother, he'd die from hypothermia. Maybe we can get a team together to take him back through. If his mother is still alive she'll be frantic. Maybe we could get him back to her with minimal confrontation if we're lucky."

"And if we can't? He's a baby now, but he'll grow up. It's one thing to hang on to the dinosaurs or even the mammoth, but they're not as intelligent as this little fellow. Like you said, we can't keep him in a cage, but the ARC isn't the place for him either." Connor watched as Abby worried her bottom lip. "What about a Monastery in Tibet or Nepal? I bet you anything there's some really good hearted Buddhists that would think he was a, I dunno, gift from the Mountain or something."

Abby smiled. "That's actually a really good idea, Conn. If we can't get him home, I think that would be a really nice future for him, all things considered. He'd be safe and in his own home, even if he was out of his time. Who knows, there might even still be Yeti there."

Connor returned her smile and sat down next to her on the sofa. "We'll take him ourselves, make sure we put him in safe hands."

"Thank you."

"Of course, there's nothing I wouldn't do for you."

"Right now I think he could use something to eat. His tummy's growling."

"Um, what do we feed a baby Yeti?"

"Judging by his teeth, I'm going to say he's a meat eater. There's not a whole lot of vegetation in the Himalayas to sustain a body as big as he'll get. He probably eats some berries and such, but his main diet would be meat - probably mountain goat or something like that. He'd likely be eating it by now, but might not yet be weaned from his mother's milk. Call Hamish from the Wellington Zoo, I've got his cell number in my phone. Ask him to bring a jug of the formula he's got on hand for the the gorillas. It's lactose free and full of vitamins. Have someone get some ground beef or goat. We'll mix the two together."

"I'll do my best, love. It's supper time, most of the shops are closed. It's Christmas Eve... I'll do my best."

An hour later Connor was back with everything Abby needed for the Yeti. As soon as he smelled the meat he perked right up and made a sound that reminded them of a purr. As the furry little monster stuffed his face with the meat and milk medley his rumbles erupted into a proper purr, which made Abby very pleased. He was happy. He even let her clean up his face and hands with a warm washcloth. Once he was done his supper, he crawled back into Abby's arms. She rubbed his full belly and lay down with him on the sofa until he fell asleep.

"Will you watch him?" Abby asked as she carefully extricated himself from the Yeti, leaving him curled up on the couch under her white coat. "I need the loo. Won't be long!"

Connor barely had a chance to reply before she was out the door, leaving Connor alone with the baby. He'd been back at his desk working on his project. He put down his tools and looked in the direction of the sofa. Abby would only be gone a few minutes, so long as the baby didn't wake... too late. The Yeti sat up, saw that Abby was gone and went into an immediate panic. He threw off Abby's coat, scanned the room frantically for Abby and then burst into tears again, vocalizing the same terrible mournful wail they'd heard when they'd found him.

"Oh crap..." Connor spoke, a feeling of great dread come over him. This wasn't good. "Um... okay, just... just calm down, Abby will be back straight away. Please don't cry, she'll kill me if you hurt yourself." Connor looked around the room for anything to distract him until his eyes settled upon the bookshelf on the other side of the room. Abby hadn't wanted all his Star Wars memorabilia crowding the space in their flat, so he'd brought the collection to the ARC to make his office a more homey, personal space for himself. Connor dashed to the shelf and snatched the figurine from it. He sat down next to the Yeti and waved the Limited Edition Star Wars replica of the Wampa from The Empire Strikes Back in front of the baby. It even had real fur on it. The Yeti's tears dried up and his sobs stopped. He sniffled and watched the Wampa doll dance before him. When he reached for it, Connor gave it to him. He sniffed it and shook it, then hugged it to his chest, looking up at Connor with his huge black eyes. Connor smiled at him and a moment later, the baby was crawling into his lap and settling himself down. Connor didn't know how to react at first, but soon put his arm around the Yeti and hugged him.

"Like that do you?" Connor asked, petting the Yeti's head. "Tell you what. If you get stuck here and we can't get you back to your mum n' dad, Abby n' me will take care of you. Sure, you'll probably grow twelve feet tall and eat us, but we'll make sure you're safe and loved. We'll even come visit you once a year at the Monastery."

"That's really sweet, Conn."

Connor looked up from the baby to where Abby stood in the doorway, a smile painted upon her face. He smiled back.

"What can I say? The little fella's grown on me. He's me namesake after all." Abby joined them and between the two of them, cuddled Connor Jr. "You're going to be a fantastic mum someday."

Abby was stunned silent by Connor's words. He was oblivious as he rubbed the Yeti's fat belly and bounced him on his knee.

Meanwhile, the expected blizzard had finally settled itself upon London. It had come in from the Eastern seas in a violent tumult that brought with it winds that had limbs snapping from trees, trash cans flying down the street and traffic at an absolute standstill. The soldiers that Becker had left to stand guard over the locked anomaly had been forced into their vehicles to escape the onslaught. It was near arctic conditions and they risked both hypothermia and getting injured by debris.

The locking mechanism was no match for the mighty winds and it was overturned, then shattered against a brick wall, releasing the anomaly back to full strength. One by one the members of the pack came through until they numbered seven strong. Standing at close to twelve feet tall, covered in head to toe in white fur over their broad, muscular bodies, they fanned out and sniffed the air. The mother roared into the night when the scent trail of her baby ended near the ARC vehicles. The soldiers inside were hurriedly contacting the ARC when the mother took hold of the vehicle and up ended it, sending the soldiers into a tailspin and helpless heap of bodies.

Enraged and frantic to find her missing child, the mother Yeti lashed out, pounded on the SUVs and roared once more into the night. Beside her, her mate barked orders to the others. Find their baby and kill anything that got in their way.

!*!*!

Abby and Connor had been relaxing on the sofa with Connor Jr. between them, laughing and playing with him. He behaved very much like a human toddler would, looking back and forth between his 'parents' and smiling as only he could with his fangs and teeth. He would on occasion give Abby or Connor and hug and in turn, they'd stroke his fur and cuddle him. When the anomaly alarm sounded, they baby was startled and threw himself against Abby. She tried to soothe him when he began his crying again, but it was no use.

"I'll get Jess to switch it off," Connor said, rushing to the intercom in his lab and punching the button to connect to the ADD station. "Jess! Get the alarm off! It's scaring the baby."

The alarm cut out a few seconds later, but soon Jess' panicked voice filled the room. "Connor! Abby! We've got a massive creature incursion! It's at the earlier anomaly site, the locking mechanism was taken out by the storm, it looks like the entire Yeti pack's come through! Reports from the team left at the site say that it's bad! They're trapped inside one of the vehicles, it's nearly crushed. The Yetis are breaking up all the shops and cars, it's pandemonium on the front street!"

"It's the baby," said Abby. "They're looking for their baby. If the mother's there, she'll be out of control. It's dangerous, but the only thing that will resolve the situation is to take him back. Maybe if they seem him and that he's okay, they'll go back through?"

"Somehow I don't think it'll go that smoothly, love," Connor said solemnly. "But you're right. If his parents are there, that's who he belongs with. We can use the EMDs, low settings, just enough to stun and immobilize, but not enough to do any nerve damage. Let's go."

Connor went back over to them and opened his arms to the little Yeti. The baby made his purring sound and leapt up into Connor's arms. Abby felt her eyes getting misty. Connor would make a wonderful father someday.

!*!*!

Pandemonium was an understatement. The Yeti were tearing the front street shops apart. Between them and the blizzard, the entire block had been demolished. The new wave of soldiers and the rest of the team pulled up at the far end, knowing the anomaly was around the corner at the end of the block and straight ahead was the only route to it. The problem was, there were seven rampaging Yeti of immense strength and size between them and it. It would be pointless for them to return the baby without being able to get the pack back through. They'd have what the came for, but without a path home, they'd still be dangerous.

Abby held the baby to her chest and stroked his fur. She knew as soon as he heard or saw his mum, he'd become desperate to get to her and there'd be no stopping the mother getting to him.

"We have to get to the anomaly, have him call them to it," Abby explained cover the communications link.

"We'll cover for you," Matt replied. "You head for the anomaly and we'll distract the pack."

As the ARC vehicles began honking their horns and driving into the melee with the Yeti to garner their attention, Connor maneuvered the vehicle down the block towards the anomaly. Abby kept the baby Yeti against her chest with her hand over his ear. She prayed they could reach the anomaly before either the baby and his parents became aware of each other. Abby nuzzled the top of Connor Jr.'s soft furry head and held him closer. Reuniting him with his mother was the right thing to do, but she was also dreading the moment. All things considered, he was a very good little fellow and certainly loving and affectionate. Part of her wished she could keep him.

Connor deftly got them past the pack of Yeti as they'd all been incensed enough by the ARC team's antics to chase and focus their rage upon them. Connor drove evasively and at a steady pace. He turned the ARC vehicle down the side street to the open anomaly. They pulled up close to the alley where they'd found the Yeti and when Connor Jr. looked up from snuggling Abby he began to tremble in fear. The lights had taken him from his mummy. He was scared. He didn't want them to take him away from his new mummy.

"He's scared Conn," Abby spoke, rubbing the baby's back.

"He'll be with his mum soon enough. He'll be okay, I promise."

"Yeah, I know."

"Best get to it, no sense in delay. How are we going to do this?"

"We'll get out of the vehicle and stand in front of the anomaly. I know as soon as he hears them he'll make his own sounds. He'll be able to smell his mum too if she's with them. He'll go into a right state, but we have to keep hold of him, he absolutely can't go running off into that craziness."

"Okay. Okay, this'll work. They'll come running, well hand him over, everybody goes home and I'll get another locking device set up. Easy peasy."

Abby nodded and hugged the baby tighter. This was it. Connor took a moment to relay their plan to the team before first he, then Abby got out. They made their way to the anomaly and the Yeti clung to Abby so hard she had trouble breathing. She whispered soothing words to him, but she knew there was no help for it. Suddenly the baby stopped trembling. He looked up. His little nose twitched and he inhaled deeply several times. A moment later he let out a mighty cry that startled both Abby and Connor.

"They're coming your way!" Matt's voice bellowed in their ear pieces. "Fast!"

Abby struggled to keep hold of the Yeti as he tried to push himself out of her arms. Connor felt his stomach drop and fear rise up in him when he beheld a pack of Yeti come around the corner and head straight for them. One had obviously been shot with an EMD and was being dragged by two others, but leading the front of the pack was unmistakably Connor Jr's mother, and she was seriously pissed off.

The mother Yeti was coming straight for them with its eyes set on Abby. To get her child back, she would no doubt tear right through Abby to get to him. Connor knew he had to do something or Abby would be killed. There wasn't time to think. He didn't have an EMD on him and neither did Abby. Even if she did, she'd not shoot. She'd never traumatized the baby Yeti by hurting his mother.

"Oy! Here!" Connor shouted, breaking away from Abby and running headlong into the mother Yeti's path.

"Connor! No!" Abby screamed. She watched in horror as the Yeti took up Connor's challenge and made for him. He was cast aside as if he was as light as a feather. "Connor!"

Abby sobbed in anguish as she watched her husband fly through the air and land over on an embankment of snow. She shut her eyes tight a second before he landed. She didn't want to see his body break. She couldn't bear to live with that image in her mind. The baby in her arms began to beat at her chest and Abby couldn't hold him any longer. She looked at him then his mother and set him down. She looked past them at Connor's lifeless body in the snow and quaked in fear for her husband.

The mother turned her attention to her son and was visibly surprised when instead of running into her arms, he dashed right under her legs and trundled over to Connor's prone body as fast as he could. The little Yeti knelt down to Connor and made pitiful sounds of distress as he mashed his furry paw on Connor's face to rouse him. When Connor groaned and came too, the baby threw himself on Connor's chest and hugged him. Connor gasped for breath, but managed to pat the Yeti on his back to assure the fuzzy toddler that he was okay. He was sore, but had no broken bones. Fortunately the snow drift he'd landed in was soft enough to cushion the blow. Connor sat himself up and hugged the Yeti. When the little one's arms squeezed him back, Connor felt a swell of love for his namesake.

Abby took the mother Yeti's surprise at her child's panic over Connor to sneak around in an effort to get to her husband's side. When she saw him come to, she felt a massive sense of relief. Abby made it to Connor's side just moments before the mother's attention turned to them. Abby crashed down into the snow and put her hands upon Connor's shoulders to steady him as he held on to the baby. They both looked up as the mother loomed over them. Gentle as she could, Abby unlocked Connor Jr.'s arms from around Connor, picked him up and set him back down on his feet facing his mum. The baby made a series of rumbling sounds at his mother and she replied in kind. The baby turned back around and held out the Wampa doll to Connor, offering it back. Connor smiled and held back tears.

"You keep it," Connor spoke, pushing the doll back against the Yeti's chest before stroking his soft little head. The baby purred loudly for him and then turned to Abby. Abby felt her tears streaming down her cheeks and the baby wrapped his arms around her for a goodbye hug. She held him for a long time, then let him go, pressing a kiss to his little pug nose. The baby Yeti turned back around and waddled the distance to his mother holding up his arms for her to pick him up. In a flash he was up off the ground and on the back of his mother's shoulders with her holding tight to one of his ankles. She roared a command to her pack and one by one they disappeared through the anomaly and back home. Once the pack were all were all through, the anomaly swelled then closed on its own.

Abby helped Connor to his feet and together they stared at the spot where the anomaly had been. Around them the rest of the ARC team were helping get the other soldiers out of the ruined SUV.

"You're really going to miss him, aren't you?" Connor asked as he wrapped his arm around his wife's shoulders and pulled her near.

"Yeah... I loved him. How could I not? He was just a baby who needed his mum," Abby replied, inclining her head towards Connor's. Abby wiped away her tears and felt a huge lump form in her throat.

"Good thing he found you then, eh?" Connor whispered as he pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Let's go home, love. It's nearly Christmas."

Abby nodded and together, they walked back to their SUV and got inside. The soldiers were left with the clean up and Abby was glad of it. She hadn't the will to do anything else but go home and to bed. Her heart was a heavy and broken. She missed her little furry baby, his purrs, his hugs and his complete trust in her. She hoped he'd remember her as he grew up and that for a few hours, for all intents and purposes, she'd been his mum. As Connor drove them away from the scene, Abby turned away from Connor and watched the snow covered city outside pass them by. She'd been sad all day about Christmas, but now without her little fellow to cuddle, Abby felt empty.

Connor drove slowly and carefully. The weather was dreadful and the roads even worse. He could see Abby in his peripheral vision and on occasion looked in her direction. She was completely miserable. He felt his guts clench, suddenly remembering he'd failed to find the perfect Christmas gift to give her. He'd wanted so badly to make her smiles last, to make her feel whole and invested in each day the way she did for him. He felt like a failure. Not only was she missing their little Yeti baby, but she had a lousy husband who couldn't even think of a proper Christmas gift to give to her.

Connor kept his eyes on the road and took them home.

Connor let Abby in ahead of him and he locked up behind them. Abby hung up her coat and took off her boots while Connor did the same.

"Are you hungry? We've got leftovers I could heat up," said Abby, already heading in the direction of the kitchen.

"Sure, love, thanks," Connor called after her. He sighed wearily and watched her disappear around the corner. He went to the living room and fumbled around in the dark until he found the plug for the Christmas Tree lights and put the end into the wall. Abby had wanted everything to be blue and red this year. She'd covered the tree in deep hued ornaments of blue, red and purple, with silver accents. The tiny fairy lights made everything glitter. Their first tree together looked stunning. There were gifts under it with their names on them, but it wasn't enough, thought Connor. Abby didn't wear jewelry except for her wedding band, but he'd gotten her a set of ruby stud earrings. He'd tried on more than one occasion to convince her to wear a diamond on her finger, but she'd insisted she didn't need or want one. It would only get in the way during work and she'd be constantly worried about losing it. She liked silk, so he'd found her both a nightgown and robe that he knew would look devastating on her. He'd found sheets for their bed too. He'd got her a lovely warm jumper, books, and movies. He'd gotten her favourite sweets and chocolates. There were more things, all with her mind, but none of them felt perfect. It was too late now, as the clock on the mantle chimed midnight. It was Christmas Day.

"Connor?" came Abby's voice from behind him. He turned and smiled at her.

"Hey love, Happy Christmas," he spoke softly. She worried her bottom lip and hugged her arms around herself. "Abby, come sit with me a moment?"

"Dinner's heating in the microwave."

"This won't take long, please?"

"All right."

Together they moved to the couch and sat down with their knees touching and their bodies inclined to each other. Connor took her hands in his and held them for a time before he spoke. "I know words aren't enough, but Abby, I wish to apologize to you. For weeks now I've been wracking my brain trying to come up with something special to give you on Christmas, something perfect, but I never found it. I'm a very lucky man to have a woman as amazing as you are in my life and I wanted to show you how much appreciate you putting up with me and how much I love you. So, I'm sorry if your Christmas isn't all it could be. I've done me best, even if it falls short."

Abby couldn't believe what she was hearing! Was Connor still so insecure about himself that he didn't realize that the only thing that made Christmas, and every other day for that matter, special was him being there with her? She didn't need gifts to know how much he loved her. He'd proven himself countless times over. Her mind cast back to their wedding day when she'd reached him at the altar and he'd whispered to her the question if she was sure he was what she really wanted. He was all she'd ever needed. Just him. He was her soul mate. Her thoughts came forward to this night and all that had transpired. He'd been so patient and gentle with the little Yeti baby. Suddenly everything fell into place. She knew why she'd been so sad. She knew what the missing piece was. She knew what it was that would make her happy again, and it all started with Connor. How had she ever been so lucky to be graced with a man like him?

Abby's sudden smile unnerved him. She was crying too and that confused him. Abby launched herself into his arms and he fell back against the cushions. Her lips were on his and he was powerless against her kiss, which he returned with as much enthusiasm as she was putting into it. She straddled his lap and pressed her body to his.

"Connor Temple you are a wonder," she sighed as she pulled away from their kiss. She stroked her fingers through his hair and smiled at him.

"I am?" he asked, still utterly perplexed.

"Thank you for loving me."

"You're welcome, but Abby... I'm confused."

"I know, and it's adorable. I've figured it out."

"Why you've been so sad?"

"Yes. Being with the little Yeti really helped me understand what I've been feeling. Also just now when I saw you standing by our Christmas tree and then when you gave me that ridiculously unnecessary apology - everything became completely clear. There's only _one _thing I want from you for Christmas." She kissed his mouth once more and smiled at him.

"Whatever it is, I'll get it for you, promise."

"No getting involved, just giving."

"All right, what is it then?"

Abby cupped the side of his face and looked into his deep brown eyes. "A baby."

He was stunned into silence. He stared at her long and hard, searching her eyes and seeing only hopeful joy in them. Then her image became cloudy as his tears came. He was sure he'd heard her right, but it overwhelmed him. Then Abby's lips were upon his again, her kiss soft and sensual as her fingertips wiped the tears from his eyes. She she pulled away again he saw that she too was crying.

"A... a baby? You n' me? Really?" he stammered. Abby nodded her head.

"Yes really. That's what I want, more than anything."

"I want that too! So much, you have no idea!"

"I think I do, now. It finally dawned on me. I want to make a family with you, Connor, I want us to make a life." They kissed again, holding and caressing each other under the sparkling lights of the tree they'd decorated together. "Can I have my Christmas present now please?"

Connor smirked at her before wrapping her up in his arms and maneuvering her beneath him. Abby sunk into the couch with Connor's comforting weight atop her. "It's probably not going to happen the first time. We might have to keep trying for a while. Probably on a daily basis."

"Mmm, you might be right. But maybe we'll have ourselves a Christmas miracle."

"You never know, we just might."

"Happy Christmas Connor."

"Happy Christmas, Abby. I love you."

"I love you too. You should know, we're naming him Connor Jr."

"After the Yeti?"

"No you nit, after his Daddy."

Connor's grin at being called 'Daddy' made her belly tingle low and deep. Everything made sense to her again, everything in the world felt right, and as Connor began to kiss her she knew in her heart of hearts that somewhere in the Himalayan Mountains about three thousand years ago, there was a little baby boy Yeti cuddled in his mother's arms where he belonged, sleeping peacefully. The image inside her mind shifted and she pictured herself with her and Connor's child nestled in her arms. This had been her most precious Christmas ever, but she knew next year would be a whole lot more.

The End

... Missing Reel/Fade to Black to follow :)


End file.
